first law
noun
: the most important principle
He teaches his students that balance is the first law of architecture.
Examples of first law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
California recently passed the first law that requires frontier AI companies to disclose safety information around catastrophic risks, and New York is currently within spitting distance as well.
—
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
The Chula Vista Police Department is spending nearly $1 million to add 10 electric vehicles to its fleet, believed to be the first law enforcement agency in the region to embrace zero-emission patrol cars.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Konechne was among the first law enforcement officers to arrive.
—Robb Murray, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025
The principle of relativity would later show up in Newton’s work as his first law of motion, where an object at rest would remain at rest and an object in motion would remain in constant motion, and would do so forever, unless and until either of them was acted upon by an outside (net) force.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for first law
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
The Chula Vista Police Department is spending nearly $1 million to add 10 electric vehicles to its fleet, believed to be the first law enforcement agency in the region to embrace zero-emission patrol cars.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Konechne was among the first law enforcement officers to arrive.
—Robb Murray, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025
The principle of relativity would later show up in Newton’s work as his first law of motion, where an object at rest would remain at rest and an object in motion would remain in constant motion, and would do so forever, unless and until either of them was acted upon by an outside (net) force.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for first law
Cite this Entry
“First law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20law. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share